


Quiet

by TeaRoses



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-09
Updated: 2010-03-09
Packaged: 2017-10-07 19:52:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/68608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaRoses/pseuds/TeaRoses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Luna is hit with a silencing spell, she still finds ways to communicate with Ginny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Quiet

Ginny saw the whole incident, and later wished she had thought more quickly, the way Hermione might have, or at least been faster and able to stop them. Luna was sitting there in the dining hall at the Ravenclaw table, talking about her father's latest news article about the Death Eaters.

"We don't want to hear it, Luna," a seventh-year girl Ginny knew as Regina Nightlow said coldly.

Luna was never the best at taking hints, so she just rambled on.

"Well, here's a funny story, anyway. It seems the merpeople were arguing one day, and the king said-"

No one ever found out what the king said, because Regina drew her wand and recited a phrase. When Luna opened her mouth next, there was no sound. For a moment she sat gasping, then reached for her water glass as if hoping a drink would bring back her voice.

Ginny jumped up and ran in their direction, unsure whether she wanted to cast a spell on Regina or just knock her to the ground. But Professor McGonnagal had already seen Luna struggling to speak and was at her side before Ginny got there. She gave Ginny a look that that made her rethink the consequences of attacking another student in the dining hall, even after this provocation.

Professor McGonnagal said something to Regina that Ginny couldn't hear, which left the girl looking much less amused. Then she took Luna's arm gently and led her out of the dining hall. Reluctantly, Ginny returned to her place at the Gryffindor table. The other students were speculating in hushed whispers, but mostly seemed amused by what had happened to Luna. At the head table even Professor Slughorn seemed to be choking back laughter.

When breakfast was finally over Ginny sought Luna out and found her sitting under a tree near the castle, her usual cheerfulness now very subdued.

"Luna!" Ginny called to her as she approached. "Are you all right?"

Luna only looked up and shrugged, her zucchini earrings bobbing slightly.

"I hope they got Regina in some big trouble for that!"

Luna nodded.

"What did the Headmistress have to do to reverse the spell?"

She didn't answer and Ginny gasped. "They couldn't reverse it?"

Luna removed parchment and a quill from a bag by her side, and wrote something down. Then she showed it to Ginny.

_I can't talk at all. They don't know for how long._

"I can't believe they couldn't remove the spell. I'm going to the infirmary. I have a few words for Madame Pomfrey!"

Luna only shrugged again, and handed her another piece of parchment.

_Don't worry about me. I'm fine._

Luna then pocketed that one, as if she knew she'd need to use it again.

Ginny sat down beside her. "Those girls had no right to do that to you. And I hope the teachers will at least let you stay out of class until your voice gets back to normal. You can hardly do magic without speaking."

Luna shook her head, but Ginny wasn't certain what she meant by it. It then occurred to her that Luna might not appreciate conversation right now.

"I... have to go to class now, but I'll see you later, all right?"

The first class was charms, and Ginny gave her attention to the Cheering Charm only because she hoped it might cheer up Luna. Then she remembered that she probably didn't want any more magic cast on her for now.

Next was double Potions with the Ravenclaws. Snape actually sneered at Luna, and said "Fortunately for you, you don't need your voice for Potions. And fortunately for us, we'll be spared your chatter."

Luna didn't even reply, but Ginny was livid. In the end only the fact that Luna turned in a healing potion even Snape called "perfect" made the class bearable.

During lunch, Ginny listened to the usual gossip, and found out that Regina Nightlow had received two weeks detention with Professor McGonagall.

"That's not enough punishment," she said indignantly.

Ron looked over at her. "Well, Luna is sort of... she does rather... talk a lot."

She gave him a poisonous glare that shut him up, and shared it with the rest of the table in case the other Gryffindors were tempted to share his sentiments.

Outside on the grounds after lunch Ginny overheard some of Regina Nightlow's friends speaking to Luna.

"I heard your father's crazy!" said one girl. Ginny slipped through the crowd to see Luna's face turn pale at her words. Her mouth was open but she still couldn't answer the taunts.

"And all you ever do is make noise. Except now," said a blonde girl waspishly.

Luna looked near tears, and Ginny was certain she had never seen her cry. She drew her wand, but Luna saw her and shook her head wildly. That made Ginny hesitate, and fortunately for all of them, Professor Flitwick passed by at that moment. Usually one of the quietest of their teachers, his expression was angry as he took points from Ravenclaw and threatened further punishment. If he saw Ginny draw her wand, he said nothing about it.

To Luna he said, "Perhaps you'd rather rest in the infirmary until your voice returns."

Luna shook her head and Professor Flitwick nodded and walked away. Ginny put a hand on her shoulder.

"Luna, this isn't like you. You're always so cheerful."

_Nobody can be cheerful all the time._

"I know that, but you're so sweet and happy. Don't let those girls hurt your spirit.

Luna looked a bit surprised to hear Ginny put it that way.

_They'll never do that._

"It's going to be all right. Just spend your time thinking up horrible things to call those girls just as soon as your voice is back."

Luna wrote again.

_That never really helps, you know._

"You're wiser than I am. But I'd do it, anyway."

Finally, Luna seemed to smile a little.

"You'll be all right, Luna." Ginny gave her a hug before she left, inhaling a scent like greenery that was entirely pleasant.

Hermione was forcing them all to study after dinner, even Ginny, who wasn't in their year. But later on there was a Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, and Luna was there, painting "Go Gryffindor" in sparkling stars with her wand and looking just a bit more like herself.

They managed to win, which perhaps was no huge accomplishment considering the skills of this year's Hufflepuff team, but Ginny was more concerned with Luna than with victory. She caught up with her by the same tree she had visited that morning. No one else was around.

"Luna... I'm very sorry people were making fun of you. And maybe I haven't always been as nice to you as I should either. But some of us... not just me... they like to hear you talk."

Luna was smiling, and handed her a parchment.

_The silencing spell was worth it. Because it got you to pay attention to me._

Ginny laughed. "I'd have paid attention to you before if you'd only asked."

_Some things aren't easy to ask._

Before Ginny could reply, Luna wrote again and handed the parchment to her.

_I think you're so pretty, Ginny. I just wish I'd told you that before._

While Ginny was still reading the parchment, she felt Luna's hand stroke her hair. When she looked up, there was a look in her eyes that Ginny had never received from a girl before.

Slowly, she leaned forward and brushed her lips against Luna's. Luna responded eagerly, pressing into the kiss and embracing her. Soon Ginny found herself pulling her close, parting her lips gently to deepen the kiss. She felt nervous and excited, but above all happy. This was unexpected, but she was already certain it would be worth it.

Pulling away for a moment, she said, "Now I can't wait until the spell wears off, and we can really talk."

Then she heard a voice near her ear which caused pleasant shivers down her spine.

"It wore off hours ago. But I found I could write what I couldn't say."

Ginny laughed, ready to pretend to scold her, then looked into her eyes and realized that talking wasn't what she wanted right now after all.


End file.
